Strength and coordination exercises are becoming increasingly more popular these days. Within health-conscious cultures, sports such as jogging, swimming and bicycling have long been common forms of exercise. More recently, however, those desiring to stay in shape are seeking different, more innovative ways to achieve or maintain a desired level of physical conditioning and mental health, while at the same time trying to decrease the incidence of injuries due to high impact exercising.
For example, various forms of yoga have gained greater acceptance within today's society. Yoga is known to increase strength and flexibility, while relaxing the mind through focusing on holding certain body positions. Consequently, yoga and other similar disciplines can provide participants with an increased fitness level and improved state of mind. Typically, cushioned rubber mats are used by those who practice yoga for providing a soft surface for kneeling, standing, and lying down. However, due to the physical demand of balancing while holding various poses for extended periods of time, the participants can perspire onto the mats, causing the mats to become slick, thereby increasing the likelihood of a slipping injury. Thus, the participant can become distracted from proper focus during the practice of yoga. Further, the mats are generally relatively non-absorbent, and offer few benefits other than creating a padded area for use by the yoga participants.